A Solid Performer. If you're a fan of the 1911, then here is a handgun rarely touted in the press, but has a solid reputation for being one of the most affordable, reliable and well made entry level 1911's on the market. But don’t let the price fool you into thinking it's cheaply made.

Affectionately referred to as “The Rock” among owners, the Rock Island Armory "Rock Standard FS" is a full size 1911 made from 4140 ordnance grade steel with a 5" hammer forged barrel. In addition, each pistol is backed by a lifetime warranty.

Rock Island Armory handguns are designed and manufactured in the Philippines by parent company Armscor, but actually may be even more loyal to the original 1911 template than most anything currently made here in the USA. The Filipinos have long been close allies of the U.S., and have a respectable handgun heritage. Many a WWII Japanese soldier’s last sight on this earth was a Filipino Guerrilla aiming a 1911 at him.

Armscor can trace its roots back to the year 1911 with Squires Bingham & Co. During the Japanese invasion and occupation of the Philippines during WWII, the company was forced to shut down-- reopening again in 1952 under the Armscor banner. In addition to the manufacture and distribution of Rock Island handguns here in the U.S., they also hold the contracts to produce guns like the STI Spartan, Cimmaron and Auto Ordnance 1911 pistols. Armscor is a ISO 9001 certified compliant company that utilizes advanced CNC machine equipment.

The Rock Island Armory Rock Standard FS is built around the original 1911A1 format, which is often referred to as a Series '70 firing system. Many 1911 purists will be pleased to know that the pistol does contain either a firing pin or hammer drop safety typically adapted from the Colt Series '80 firing system.

With ambidextrous wide paddles, the thumb safety is positive and disengages easily. The grip safety is an upswept, high ride beavertail configuration that allows the operator to get closer to the bore axis, thus minimizing felt recoil-- while also greatly reducing the risk of getting slide bite.

In addition, the hammer is a skeletonized, low mass design that has been paired with a crisp skeletonized trigger. Not only does this tandem reduce lock time for improved performance, but the trigger pull itself is butter smooth.

The gun features combat style, low profile, snag- free sights and when properly lined up, are extremely accurate and get on target relatively well. While some argue its degree of effectiveness is negligible and just for show, many shooters nevertheless consider the gun's full length guide a necessity for improving reliability and accuracy.

This is a true fighting pistol, designed to be up close and personal for clearing bad guys from your house in the middle of the night. This the job that a functional 1911 was built to do. And even if you have older eyes and can’t track the iron sights well in low light, then the ergonomic design of the 1911 still lends itself to natural body position aiming. Suffice it to say, this handgun really delivers.

The Rock Island Armory Rock Standard FS has a Parkerized finish that is both durable and provides excellent rust protection. All locking lugs, as well as the barrel bushing, fit together properly and the gun shoots surprisingly well. The pistol is chambered for 9mm, which offers lower recoil and more affordable target shooter. More importantly, with quality hollow point ammunition, the gun is still capable of delivering solid stopping power.

A minimum of tool marks can be found anywhere on this pistol, and the controls work nicely with a positive degree of crispness. When working the slide, the link feels solid, the locking lugs roll right into place and the action is impressively smooth.

The checkered rubber grips provide excellent handling and control, even under adverse firing conditions. The magazine also exhibits quality construction, and is an eight round unit. Overall, the Rock Island Armory Rock Standard FS is an accurate, reliable and hard working 1911 that represents one of the best values on any handgun available on the market today.

Established in 1993, Champion Firearms is a retail gun store and indoor range located in College Station, Texas.

It all started with a great idea and a little hard work. Today we're proud to provide quality products direct to your doorstep through an experience you'll enjoy. And most of all, we hope you'll enjoy the products as much as we do. Call or email us today to let us know what you think. We'd love to hear from you!